seldomly my tachometer doesn't work, and then when it doesn't work, seldomly it just comes back into life. Is this like a loose wire, or is it ECU related (not sure if an 85 GTI 8V has an ECU)

when i give the engine a few quick blips on the throttle, the tacho reads more revs than it should, and its a bit 'bouncy' in its movement. Is this related to why doesn't work sometimes as well?
thanks 4 any help